Which Consumer Unit?

[mouk]

I am not a sparky but this seemed to be the best board for this query.

Following on from a recent thread, I got stitched up by an electrician and the guy taking over is someone who was his old employee and now going on his own as a sole trader. The downside is that he has no trade accounts set up yet and I suspect he probably hasn't got the money to buy the sheer amount of stuff I need in my house.

Therefore he has given me a list of all the stuff I need and I am going to get prices from suppliers and then I will buy everything (with him with me). I can therefore choose my own LED lights, extractor fans, sockets etc

One of the things is that I can choose what consumer unit I want.

He says that from next year all boxes have to be metal (which is when my 2nd fix will be). He also explained the various ways that a consumer unit can be set up and the option I chose was to have all RCBOs (need 9). The only reason was that because if one circuit stops working it doesn't affect the others.

As a consumer I generally care about 2 things - how much it costs, and because it is on display, what it looks like (smaller, flatter the better).

Obviously I care about quality but as far as I know, consumer units are not renowned for breaking down.

Having done some research it seems electricians like the boxes that are easy to work with.

I am going for Crabtree sockets and I think my last consumer unit was a Crabtree.

Anyway, I have a Denmans catalogue in front of me and as far as I can work out a Crabtree RCBO is bloody 35 each - so that is around 350 plus the consumer unit - say £400 - out of my reach. A quick search online suggests the RCBOs can be had for £25 so may be do-able.

Even a cheap 'basics' RCBO is £14 each - so 140 plus the board = £200.

I can obivously go for a cheaper make and go for RCBO (can stretch to £200).

Should I hold out for the RCBO or should I save money and go for the better make but not RCBO?

In the past 10 years there have probably been 5 times where the consumer unit has tripped but it has always been easy to find out what the problem is and put the electrics back on. My thinking is that the RCBO system would be handy at times when a circuit has cut off and I cannot fidn out what is causing the problem myself - so I can carry on using all other circuits whilst waiting for an electrician.

Anyway, getting back on point - do you guys recommend any particular metal boards that

a) look nice and simple like a square/rectangle box with no logos etc

b) reasonable cost and brand

I don't care how easy it is for the electrician - nor does he apaprently as he hasn't limited my choice.

A quick search suggests that if I want RCBOs I need to look at consumer units which come with no MCBs or RCDs in them already. Or do I need an RCBO specific unit?

Electrician has suggested a 12 way board with 9 circuits - leaving 3 spare. As I have massivley specced my house I cannot see me needed to use 3 extras but may as well have them.

If I got metal the plus side seems to be Crabtree have moved from see through plastic covers to white metal covers which is more discrete when on display.

In general they all seem to look similar physically - all white with a flap.

Just to be clear I will not buy anything without running it by the electrician (he will be with me anyway).

 

[Zeespark]

Go for a 20+ way board with SBS DP, single module RCBOs. Why so big you say? think about having each major appliance, fridge, freezer, tumble drier etc on its own circuit. :innocent

Have the rest of the kitchen on a ring circuit (One of the few times I now advocate their use)

Have each major rooms sockets supplied on their own radial

Have all outside lights on their own radial

As well as an up and downstairs radial for lights, have a dedicated radial in the up and downstairs hallway and have the smoke detectors run off of this circuit

Its alot yes, but a shed load less inconvient if you have a problem with a circuit

Andy Guinness

 

[Blue Duck]

I'd go for a wooden one they don't seem to catch fire EVER! :lol:

personally I'd steer clear of electrium switchgear(crabtree/wylex)as they have a record of spontaneously combusting and are rather expensive!

SBS offerings are very good and probably the best value out there!

other than that you want cheap?

mk? BG?

you want not so cheap? hager? eaton?

nobody ever said come to my house and look at my new fuseboard but a good quality item should last a lifetime and will be worth it in the long run.

IMO

 

[ProDave]

The metal CU thing comes in next year, but if first fix and the CU is in place before then then a plastic one is fine.

If you have the patience you can get some bargains on ebay.  I have just put together the CU for my new house, Hager, 10 RCBO's, an rcd and 4 MCB's. Cost me a total of £80. that's a metal CU but the old type with a plastic front so wouldn't meet the new rules.

The likes of Screwfix etc are selling off the plastic CU's now at a knock down price as they stock up on the metal ones instead.

If you want "neat" do as I am doing, the CU is recessed into the wall so when the plasterboard is on, all you see is the plastic front of the CU flush with the wall.

 

[Murdoch]

I'd go for a wooden one they don't seem to catch fire EVER! :lol:

personally I'd steer clear of electrium switchgear(crabtree/wylex)as they have a record of spontaneously combusting and are rather expensive!

SBS offerings are very good and probably the best value out there!

other than that you want cheap?

mk? BG?

you want not so cheap? hager? eaton?

nobody ever said come to my house and look at my new fuseboard but a good quality item should last a lifetime and will be worth it in the long run.

IMO

But here we have a DIYer and SBS states he only supplies to the trade - or has he changed his strategy? Being objective about SBS, he is the ONLY seller of these products (as far as I'm aware) in the UK, so 2nd sourcing when he's run out is not possible

As for Wylex/Crabtree - they may not be the cheapest, but they are readily available and I've never had a problem in 6 years of being SE!

I have a Crabtree RCBO board in my house - sure it cost more, but we did a complete refurbishment so few hundred for a RCBO board with 14 ways was a small price to pay for quality and optimum set up!

 

[roys]

OP also says he is not keen on logos on the front, wait till the sparky puts on the inspection sticker and the RCBO testing sticker.

 

[NozSpark]

and the circuit schedule....

I've been fitting MK sentry recently... <£80 for a loaded metal board

 

[Blue Duck]

spoke that's a good thing about amd 3 boards you can fill the inside of the lid with stickers!

@murdo if the OP is purchasing for the sparks is it DIY? :C

I have a wylex rcbo board at home as it was just lying about doing nothing I have changed my opinions on electrium products though I still like a Starbreaker

 

[Murdoch]

spoke that's a good thing about amd 3 boards you can fill the inside of the lid with stickers!

@murdo if the OP is purchasing for the sparks is it DIY? :C

I have a wylex rcbo board at home as it was just lying about doing nothing I have changed my opinions on electrium products though I still like a Starbreaker

Thats up to Dave but how many times do people post on here saying "my electrician is on holiday" or "I will get it checked by a spark" or they just try and blag it?

 

[Doc Hudson]

I personally would avoid any trades person, (be it electrician, plumber, builder or whatever), who cannot afford to purchase materials to undertake their daily work. If you are unable to stock and run your business adequately then its sounds like a very poor and or unsustainable business model, which could open up more pitfalls at a later stage. 

Doc H.

 

[Essex1]

I personally would avoid any trades person, (be it electrician, plumber, builder or whatever), who cannot afford to purchase materials to undertake their daily work. If you are unable to stock and run your business adequately then its sounds like a very poor and or unsustainable business model, which could open up more pitfalls at a later stage.

Doc H.

Amazing. You have no knowledge about why this guy cannot afford to purchase this stuff. This guy could be helping this man out after maybe going threw a tough time. If so what a great thing for someone to do. DIYer no problem. Go for it. Qualified tradesman with a cash flow issue, absolutely out of the question.

 

[Murdoch]

Amazing. You have no knowledge about why this guy cannot afford to purchase this stuff. This guy could be helping this man out after maybe going threw a tough time. If so what a great thing for someone to do.

DIYer no problem. Go for it. Qualified tradesman with a cash flow issue, absolutely out of the question.

hum.... its a DIYer trying to save money - so how do we even know that there is a spark involved.....

When I let a home owner buy kit (like I have done this week), I agree via discussion and email the spec of the kit, I point out that wasted time will be charged at my hourly rate, and I also increase my hourly rate to compensate for loss of margin. I have a living to earn.

 

[Doc Hudson]

Amazing. You have no knowledge about why this guy cannot afford to purchase this stuff. This guy could be helping this man out after maybe going threw a tough time. If so what a great thing for someone to do.

DIYer no problem. Go for it. Qualified tradesman with a cash flow issue, absolutely out of the question.

I have, I suspect, the same amount of information as you do about this man. From both this and Mouk's other thread I understand this new start-up electrician was the sole employee of a.n.other who Mouk said previously "had heard quite bad things about this electrician taking on lots of jobs and leaving people in the lurch. He was an ELECSA approved electrician who got his sole member of staff to do the wiring for the upstairs. But then never came back 3 months elapsed. He sacked his employee."  I am not aware of any business start up guides that do not emphasis the importance of cash flow to a new business. But I am well aware that more than 50% of new start-ups fail within the first 5 years of trading. There is a big difference in the ability to do some practical work as a trade and to manage and run a business. From what I read this same electrician was 50% of the manpower of a business that already left a lot of people in the lurch.

The phrase 'old habits die hard' often has a lot of truth to it. Every business has lean times and needs some reserves to fall back on, To be starting off with no backup resources leaves a business in a vulnerable position, always playing catch-up waiting for more jobs to pay off last months bills. This may well be why the original ELECSA guy ended up starting too much that he couldn't complete. You may well think this is a good foundation to commence self employment, that is something I do not and why I am of the opinion that, If you are unable to stock and run your business adequately then its sounds like a very poor and or unsustainable business model, which could open up more pitfalls at a later stage. No idea why you find that concept so amazing, nor what relevance it has to minor DIY work?

Doc H.

 

[mouk]

As stated above, I fully understand why the electrician does not want to buy everything in this particular case - he was just let go as an employee and tells me he has spent a large sum buying a new van, certain tools, doing NICEIC registrations and so on (see my other thread). I know for a fact for example that the old van he had use of as an employee no longer works and has been dumped roudn the corner!

I also don't have a problem choosing what I want - I am very picky anyway - although it is a BIT incovenient for me - overall it probably suits us both.

There is also an advantage in that if anything were to happen I would own all of the products and have possession of them.

My view at the moment is just to find the consumer unit that is the slimmest/best looking.

Unfortunatley it will be sited directly as you come down the stairs into the downstairs landing - so hard to disguise.

 

[NozSpark]

Well,,, as Dave said earlier.... If you get your guy to sink it in the plaster then you'll have an inch or so less "in the room".... Most CUs are about the same depth due to the size of the protection e devices

 

[Doc Hudson]

You may want to think about how to disguise it, because in addition to the basic labeling of circuits and main switch, as Roys pointed out earlier, to comply with BS7671 there has to be some durable notices with lettering of a specific size on the front of it about testing and inspection dates, and quarterly testing of RCD's. Such as;  http://www.thelabelpeople.co.uk/periodic-inspection-labels.html  http://www.thelabelpeople.co.uk/search/for/rcd+testing/    It is unlikely to be a discreet plain box cover.

Doc H.

 

[mouk]

Best solution may just be to put a wooden box around it that comes off later by lifting it off.

 

[ProDave]

In my case it's very easy to flush mount a CU.  I am building a new house to modern design methods (not yet adopted by the major house builders) where you create an air tight building envelope and within that create a service void between the air tight wall of the house and the finished wall (e.g plasterboard)

In the utility room, where the CU is located, that service void will be 50mm deep and that's just perfect to flush mount a CU.  In other parts of the house where the service void only contains cables, it will only be 25mm deep.

Obviously much harder to do in a retro fit especially if it's a brick wall directly plastered.

Also in my case the CU is remote from the supply head and meter so they are elsewhere in a meter box.  the SWA that feeds my CU is contained invisibly in the service void.

 

[Doc Hudson]

Best solution may just be to put a wooden box around it that comes off later by lifting it off.

Most people general end up boxing in their consumer unit if it is in a highly visible location in the property. As such the external appearance of the CU carries negligible relevance. More a case of what unit is big enough to meet your circuit requirements and cheap enough to do the job without going overboard on something you will only see once in while.

Doc H.

 

[Lurch]

Surely there is somewhere in the property that the CU will fit without it being an eyesore?